


Building a Family

by ShahOfBlah



Series: Searching [3]
Category: Glee
Genre: Adoption, Broadway, Drabble Collection, Future Fic, Hollywood, Kids, M/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-02
Updated: 2014-01-02
Packaged: 2017-12-04 00:33:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 14,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/704426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShahOfBlah/pseuds/ShahOfBlah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of drabbles about Kurt and Blaine's life after the events of "Searching for Family"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> So this takes place about 5 months after the last chapter of "Searching for Family"  
> It's just a little idea that came into my head as I was walking to class. I have a few ideas about other stuff, but it might not come for a while.  
> Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt's last night in the show he's been starring in for a while gets pretty emotional. Thankfully his family, friends, and boyfriend are all there to support him.

Blaine woke up one May morning excited that it was finally _the_ day.

Ever since the heart transplant, Blaine's life had been amazing. Perfect apartment. Perfect boyfriend. Perfect job. Perfect friends. Perfect movie. And yes, even a perfect – albeit strange and unconventional – family.

He had made sure that all of his and Kurt's best friends from high school, college, and after were going to be in the theatre that night. Both of their families were also there – all of Blaine's even. No one – except Burt – knew that there was any reason to be there other than to celebrate Kurt's final performance in the show.

* * *

Blaine stood up from his seat in the center of the front row just before the curtain call and made his way backstage with a bouquet of roses. No one thought it was strange he was leaving – they all assumed he wanted to be as close to Kurt as possible during what was surely an extremely emotional moment.

After the bows were finished, Kurt stepped forward.

“This very stage has been a second home to me for the past 13 months,” he said, voice filled with emotion. “And tonight, I am saying goodbye for the last time. I have grown so much in my time here and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I am going to miss every person involved in this show so much. I want to thank the amazing director and crew, the cast, the pit, and every fan who came to the show. Most of all, I want to thank my family and friends who are here to support me tonight. I look forward to watching this show from the audience tomorrow night, and I can't wait to see every member of this cast achieve greatness!”

The applause were thunderous as Kurt, crying, took a final bow. He was about to walk away as the applause died down when he, and everyone else in the theatre, heard a clear voice.

“Kurt.”

Kurt – and everyone else – looked over to find Blaine walking on to the stage. Burt smiled proudly.

“Hi everyone,” Blaine said bashfully. “Sorry to interrupt. I promise this will be quick. In case you don't know me, my name is Blaine and I'm Kurt's boyfriend.”

He handed the roses to Kurt and kissed him lightly.

“I'm sure by now you've all figured out how amazing Kurt is. He and I have been together for a long time. Kurt, I can't imagine anyone more amazing than you. You have saved me in so many ways. If it wasn't for you, I'd be living on the streets in Ohio or dead – I certainly wouldn't have made it to New York. I love you, Kurt, more than anyone else in the world. You have been a constant presence in my life – which is not know for consistency – for such a long time. I cannot imagine trying to live a single day without you.”

At this point, Blaine crouched down on one knee and pulled out a small velvet box.

“Kurt Hummel, will you marry me?”

The entire theatre was completely silent. Tears were still streaming down Kurt's face, but he was grinning widely.

“Yes,” he whispered. “God, Blaine, yes!”

Blaine's face broke into a huge grin as he slipped the ring on Kurt's finger. The two then kissed deeply to thunderous applause.


	2. Come What May

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaine wedding!

Blaine couldn't keep his eyes off of Kurt. Even while he was dancing with Melanie during the mother-son dance (and then with Elise during the second mother-son dance) he couldn't tear his eyes off of his husband – _husband!_ \- as he danced with first his father, and then his stepmother.

When the two were finally allowed to come together, everything was absolutely perfect.

“You look amazing, Mr. Anderson-Hummel,” Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear.

“I could say the same about you,” Kurt shot back.

The two shared an unabashed kiss as they melted into each others' arms.

It could have been seconds or hours later, but Rachel was taking over the stage for the band they'd hired for their reception.

“ _Typical_ ,” Kurt muttered under his breath. Blaine playfully shushed him as Rachel began to speak.

“I have been friends with Blaine and Kurt for a long time. I lived with Kurt all through college, and with both of them for a little over a year after college – at least until they made it _very_ obvious that I was no longer welcome in _our shared_ apartment.”

“She's _still_ bitter about that?” Blaine asked Kurt quietly.

“Rachel can hold a grudge like her life depended on it,” Kurt whispered back.

“One thing I learned from Kurt and Blaine is that there is such a thing as true love. I learned how it endured against all obstacles. I don't think I need to remind anyone here of the – _difficulty_ – that Blaine had in high school. But Kurt and Blaine were always supposed to be together. The first day that Blaine came into the choir room all those years ago was the first time I saw Kurt really smile. And he's been smiling ever since.

“As the self-appointed maid of honor,” Rachel continued - Blaine and Kurt rolled their eyes at each other, “I have taken it upon myself to arrange something special for them with the help of Kurt's brother and best man, Finn Hudson. Blaine and Kurt, this is for you.”

Finn joined Rachel on stage, grinning sheepishly, and he took a second mic. The band was obviously aware of what they had planned because beautiful music soon covered the entire hall.

Kurt's breath caught in his throat as he recognized the song.

> _Never knew I could feel like this_  
>  _Like I've never seen the sky before_  
>  _I want to vanish inside your kiss_ _  
> __Every day I love you more and more_

Blaine took Kurt in his arms and the two men began to slowly sway, bodies as one, in the center of the dance floor.

> _Come what may_ _  
> __Come what may_ _  
> __I will love you until my dying day_

Time kept moving around them, but the two men barely noticed. They were drowning in the other's eyes. Blaine pulled Kurt even closer to him and sang along with Finn and Rachel as the song came to an end.

> _Oh, come what may, come what may_ _  
> __I will love you, I will love you_ _  
> __Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place_

Kurt joined in as well for the last refrain. Both men were crying tears of joy and love as they embraced and kissed to seal the moment.

> _Come what may_ _  
> __Come what may_ _  
> __I will love you until my dying day_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Rachel and Finn hooked up after the wedding.  
> In this verse, they don't end up together. I totally love Finchel as a high school couple, but they don't want the same things in the rest of their lives, so I don't think they'll end up together - nor do I want them to (sorry to any Finchel fans reading this).  
> Let me explain myself. I see Finn becoming something like Mr. Schuester - someone who helps kids. Maybe he'll end up working at Greenway. But Rachel wants New York and Broadway and Hollywood. They do love each other, though, and singing CWM might have been too much. Thankfully, neither was in a relationship at the time of the wedding, so it was all okay. They parted amicably the next morning and nothing was awkward. They're still friends, and they love each other, but they know they aren't right for each other.  
> Whew, that was long. Especially considering it was allll about Finchel. In the notes for a Klaine story....


	3. Broadway's First Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place at some undetermined point in the future. Our kids are all grown up and attending the Tony's!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD, GUYS. Glee released Kurt and Blaine's cover of "Come What May" (aka one of my all time favorite romantic songs and the perfect Klaine song) the same day I published my little drabble about their wedding and singing "Come What May". It's a sign. It has to be.  
> Anyway, y'all should totally buy CWM if you haven't already because it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard.

Blaine was loving his job as arm candy. During the crazy few months surrounding _The Lives We Hide_ , he had learned just how much he hated reporters and interviews and red carpets. They all made him nervous and sick to his stomach. But today, he wasn't the one being bombarded with questions. Instead, he held his husband's arm and beamed proudly at the handsome man in front of him. Sure, he had to pose for a few pictures and answer a few questions, but it was all about Kurt.

And Blaine _loved_ talking about Kurt.

He posed with Rachel and Kurt before a reporter walked up to them.

“What do you think of the public dubbing the three of you as 'Broadway's First Family'?” the woman asked.

Rachel laughed and answered. “We're all very flattered, obviously. And we really are a family. We've know each other since high school and vowed to come to Broadway together. The fact that we've all made it, and with such success is incredibly humbling.”

“Now, Blaine, you're not nominated for anything tonight,” the woman said.

Blaine waited for her to ask a question, but he realized that he wasn't going to get one. “No, and frankly, I'm relieved. It's way too stressful. I'll leave all the success to these two.”

“Well, Blaine certainly isn't unsuccessful,” Kurt cut in. “He won a Golden Globe and an Oscar before he turned 26. That's pretty impressive to me. And he's had plenty of success on Broadway, too.”

Blaine blushed. “Shut up. We're supposed to be talking about you today, Mr. Tony-nominee-for-best-actor-in-a-musical,” Blaine said.

“Next year, it'll be your turn,” Kurt said, winking.

The reporter smiled, obviously pleased with what she got, and walked away.

“Could you two _be_ any cuter?” Rachel asked in mock annoyance.

“Come on, Rachel, you know you love us,” Kurt said.

“And you love being our first lady,” Blaine added.

“I must admit,” Rachel said, “if I have to share the title of Broadway's biggest star with anybody, I'd prefer it to be you two. Or Barbra.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the Oscar comment: Blaine won the Academy Award for best original song (so Kurt and Rachel got to share in that spotlight) and for best original screenplay the same year as he got the Golden Globe. It just wasn't part of the story.


	4. Written for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine writes his second screenplay - and gets a bit of surprise when it enters production.

Blaine wasn't quite sure how it had happened. One day he had been walking out the stage door of the Majestic after one of his _Phantom_ matinee performances, and suddenly inspiration had hit him. He immediately pulled out his cell phone and called Brian.

“I need your help!” he said before Brian could even say 'Hello'.

“What?”

“I've never really had to try to write before – it was just flowing naturally from all my emotions and stuff but I just had an idea and I don't know how to go about writing it down!”

“Whoa, buddy, calm down,” Brian said, cutting Blaine's ramblings short. “Come by my office and we can talk this through.

* * *

And that's how, six months later, Blaine had his second completed script sitting in front of him. He would be sending it off to AJ in a matter of minutes. He was a complete wreck.

“Chill out, Blaine, this script is gold,” Brian said. “I should know, considering I co-wrote it.”

“Yeah,” Blaine said warily. “But what if it's too – weird or something?”

“Come on, the whole dystopia/post-apocalyptic world thing is hot right now. I mean, think about it. _The Hunger Games_ were crazy hits a few years ago. Studios are looking for the next big thing. Even better, this is totally original. Critics are always complaining that there isn't enough original material in Hollywood. This is going to be great.”

“I guess...” Blaine said warily.

* * *

Brian was right, as usual. One thing that Blaine didn't anticipate was that the studios wanted him. Not just his script, _him_. They wanted him to costar as Bey, a twenty-something man who had managed to live outside of the rules and preserve what was left of the culture that had been mostly forgotten. Bey was a mentor to the teenage heroine who ran away from her regulated confine only to discover that there was a resistance to the rules and regulations she had only recently learned to despise.

“You _have_ to do it, Blaine!” Kurt insisted over dinner one night.

“But I'll be gone for a couple months shooting,” Blaine countered.

“I can come visit you every week. Come on, Blaine, this is perfect.”

“But – what if I can't do it?”

“Blaine, you _wrote_ Bey. No one knows him better than you. The part was written for you,” Kurt said.

“What are you talking about, Kurt? I wrote it. I know who it was written for – and it wasn't me,” Blaine defended.

“Blaine, honey, I read your script. Bey is a man who was disenchanted with the strict structure of society at a young age. He fought back to get what he wanted. How is that _not_ you?”

Blaine froze, shocked. He had never even considered that.

“Plus,” Kurt added, “I think you'd look really hot in the costumes.”


	5. The Pink Carpet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine's newest movie was nominated for a few TCAs.

“So, who do you think is going to win big tonight?” the hip young man asked, thrusting a mic in the young woman's face.

“Blaine Anderson-Hummel. He's like a quadruple threat – actor, singer, dancer, writer – and super attractive. But, of course, he's married. It would break my heart if he and his husband weren't so damn adorable,” Natasha Wheeler, one of the hottest young stars in Hollywood answered.

The object of her affections arrived on the Teen Choice Awards' pink carpet moments later.

Blaine and Kurt were walking down the carpet, looking much more relaxed than usual. Of course, they were usually spotted on stuffier red carpets. The TCAs were a much more relaxed and fun event. Blaine didn't even feel too nervous about walking the carpet.

Reporters flocked to him and Kurt, asking questions about any potential future projects and Broadway shows. They gave the bare minimum of information before the reporters grew disinterested. Blaine preferred it that way. If the reporters weren't interested in him, it meant that he wasn't screwing up too badly. They'd even seemingly forgotten about his past, a topic which had barely been breached since _The Lives We Hide_.

He and Kurt quickly found the rest of the cast of Blaine's movie, _Beyonder_. They posed for a few pictures together – Blaine with the woman playing his on-screen partner, Blaine and the girl who played the main character, Blaine and the other resistance fighters. There were a few other obligatory pictures he took, but he mostly kept to the sides.

He was nominated for Choice movie actor: Sci-fi/fantasy, _Beyonder_ was nominated for the choice film in the same category, and a few of his costars were also nominated. He was even nominated for choice movie breakout since this was his first Hollywood acting role and choice male hottie (an award which Kurt was positive Blaine would win, even if Blaine was a bit embarrassed by the nomination).

* * *

Blaine first got news of the nominations by way of a very shrill phone call from Callie. She was excitedly telling everyone she knew that her brother was “the hot guy from _Beyonder_ and totally going to win everything at the TCAs.”

“Of course, I don't consider you hot. You're my brother and that's weird,” the tween told Blaine, “but that's what my friends know you as. They all want to meet you when you come home. When are you coming home next?”

“I don't know, Cal. I've been really busy lately. But Kurt and I want to try to get to Ohio soon. Hopefully we'll be some time this summer. Thanksgiving at the latest.”

“Good. I need to bring you to school so I can show you off and make all the girls jealous of me.”

“That might not be the best idea, Cal,” Blaine warned.

“Bla-aine,” Callie moaned, dragging out the syllables in Blaine's name, “a bunch of them don't even believe me! You have to come!”

“Alright, Cal. But only for a little while. I don't want your principal kicking me out because I started a riot or anything.”

* * *

Blaine had had an extra surprise planned for Callie, one that would prove her point to the girls at school much more clearly. Once he was done with the obligatory pink carpet photos, he met a new limo at the end of the carpet. Callie stepped out, wearing a new lavender dress and an expression of pure disbelief.

As Blaine walked the carpet a second time, he got many more questions from the reporters.

“Who's your new date, Blaine?” one asked.

“This is my sister, Callie,” Blaine explained.

“Sister?”

“Foster sister, technically. But we're family.”

Callie was positively glowing in all the attention. She obviously had none of Blaine's reservations, and gladly hammed it up for every flashing camera. After a few more minutes posing for the reporters, Kurt caught up to the pair and guided them inside.

Once inside, Blaine found himself forced to approach almost every single celebrity so he could introduce his little sister. It was a bit awkward, considering he hadn't even met most of them, but they all seemed to think nothing of it. Callie was positively spoiled.

When it came time for the show to actually begin, Callie grew even more nervous than Blaine.

“You have to win,” she babbled. “I mean, you're clearly the best. But what if you don't win? They're all idiots if you don't win. You have to win!”

“Calm down, Cal,” Blaine said with a laugh. “Just enjoy the show.”

Callie certainly did enjoy the show. Blaine did end up winning quite a few awards, including choice hottie.

“Well Callie,” Blaine began his acceptance speech, “I guess you and the girls at your school were right. I don't really know why any of you voted for me, but thanks!”

When Blaine returned to his seat, Kurt leaned over and whispered into his ear, “You're always my choice hottie.”

Blaine flushed bright red.


	6. Brendan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine and Kurt think about parenthood

Blaine and Kurt began talking seriously about starting a family after they had been married for just two years.

“I want to adopt,” Blaine said one night at dinner.

“What?” Kurt asked, shocked by Blaine's out-of-the-blue admission.

“I mean, if we want kids. I want to adopt. And not a baby. I want to help a kid who thinks he or she is never getting out. I want there to be one less kid like me.”

“Just one?” Kurt asked.

This time it was Blaine's turn to be shocked.

* * *

The began meeting kids a few months later, after all the preliminary interviews and background checks had been completed. It took a while, and Blaine and Kurt began getting nervous when no one seemed to fit quite right. Sure, they'd met some lovely kids, and it pained Blaine to know that he was crushing a kid's hopes, but none of them were who he was looking for.

Until they met Brendan.

Brendan was ten years old and had been in the system since he was four. His father had apparently been beating him and his mother. When his mother was so badly injured that she fell into a coma, the authorities found out. Brendan had been alone ever since.

In those six years, Brendan had developed a hard shell. He didn't talk much and didn't get along with the other kids. Despite the warnings, however, Blaine and Kurt insisted on meeting the boy.

As soon as the small blonde boy walked into the room and wiped his runny nose on his too-long shirt sleeve, Blaine knew that this was the boy who was supposed to be his son.

Three months later, Brendan spent his first night at Blaine and Kurt's apartment.

Two months after that, he was officially theirs.

The idea took some getting used to. Suddenly, Blaine and Kurt had to deal with finding the best pediatrician in New York (thankfully, Andrew was very connected) and enrolling Brendan in school. They had to juggle working as full-time actors and full-time fathers. 

Despite all the potential problems, everything was perfect. There was no window of adjustment, where everything felt wrong. It was just as Burt described the first few months with Kurt. And that's how Blaine and Kurt knew that they had found their son.


	7. Charlotte

Blaine always visited Greenway when he, Kurt, and Brendan went back to Ohio to visit their families.  He couldn't escape the irony - as a kid, he had wanted nothing more than to get as far away from the group home as possible, but now that he was an adult, he couldn't stay away.

It was Brendan's spring break at school, so they were staying with Burt and Carole in Lima for a few days.  Blaine was getting ready to go early one morning when he heard a small voice behind him.

"Dad?"

Blaine spun on his heel, heart warming at the word.  It had taken a few months, but Brendan was finally calling him dad, and he  _loved_ it.

"What's up Bren?"

"Are you going back to your place again?"

Blaine nodded.

"Can I go with you?"

Blaine's eyes widened.  "Bren, my 'place' ... it's a group home, just like you used to live in.  Are you sure you want to go back to a place like that?"

Brendan nodded resolutely.

"Okay.  Go tell your father that you're coming with me so he doesn't freak out when he goes to check on you and you aren't there.  I just have to do a few more things and then we can go."

Brendan grinned and ran upstairs to the guest bedroom where Kurt and Blaine stayed.  Seconds later, he was storming back down them, ready and rearing to go.

* * *

When they pulled up to Greenway, Brendan sucked in a deep breath.

"It's so pretty," he said in an awe-filled voice.

Blaine had to agree.  It was a large house on an even bigger lot, with huge yards and plenty of old trees to climb and play in.  The closest houses on either side were over a block away, so Greenway had its own little bubble.  Beyond that, however, Blaine remembered the cramped red brick building in the middle of New York City where Brendan had been living.  There had been no yard.  There had been no fresh country air or quiet serenity.

"Yeah, kid, it is," he agreed.

They walked inside and Blaine showed Brendan around the first floor.  Many of the kids were still asleep, so they didn't venture upstairs to the dormotories just yet.  He deposited his son in the playroom with a few other kids, and went to go talk to Mrs. Hanson.

* * *

"Hi," Brendan said shyly, walking up to the one girl who was by herself in the playroom.  Everyone else was occupied with someone else, and Brendan was too shy to approach them.

"Hi," she said.  She had wide blue eyes and caramel colored hair.  She was probably only six years old.  Brendan knew that his friends back home might tease him for hanging out with a little girl, but he remembered being in her place all too well.

"Can I play with you?  My daddy went to talk to Mrs. Hanson and told me to stay here."

She nodded, but didn't make eye contact with Brendan.  He sat down next to her, hoping that she would soon open up to him.

"Whatcha playing?"

She held up a doll in response.

"She's really pretty," Brendan said.  "Does she have a name?"

The girl shook her head no.

"What about you?  What's your name?"

"Charlotte," the girl whispered.

* * *

When Blaine emerged from Mrs. Hanson's office 45 minutes later, it was to a beautiful and touching sight.  Brendan was crouched on the floor next to a young girl, helping her play with her doll.  They were both chatting animatedly.

"I don't really want to take him away," Blaine mused.

Mrs. Hanson looked up in surprise.  "I don't want you to, either," she said.  "That's the first time I've seen her talk to another kid."

Blaine looked shocked.  "Really?"

Mrs. Hanson nodded.  "You've got a really special boy there, Blaine."

* * *

The two adults let the kids play a bit longer.  After a while, Brendan noticed Blaine and dragged him over.

"Daddy!  This is Charlotte.  I've been helping her with her doll," he said.

Blaine looked a bit shocked, but then smiled.  "Hi Charlotte.  My name's Blaine."

The little girl couldn't even seem to make eye contact.

"I used to live here when I was a kid, too," he said.  "I was here my entire life, from when I was born until I was 16."

She finally made eye contact at Blaine's admission.  Instead of saying anything, she handed over the doll.  Blaine accepted and began to play as well.

* * *

Three hours later, Blaine's cell phone rang.

"Blaine, I know you said you were going to Greenway, but  _what_ is taking so long?" Kurt asked.

"Kurt, you need to come here."

"What?  Why?  Did something happen?" Kurt sounded panicked.

"No, no.  Well, yes, but nothing bad.  I found her, Kurt."

"Who?"

"Charlotte."

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I wrote chapter 8 and it was all good and happy and I was ready to publish it. and then AO3 somehow logged me out, and I lost it all. Don't know when I'll have time to rewrite it.


	8. Charlotte, part 2

Blaine, Kurt, and Mrs. Hanson stood watching Brendan and Charlotte play for a while before retreating back to her office.

"I've never seen her open up to anyone before," Mrs. Hanson said.

"Well, we always knew our boy was special," Kurt said proudly.

"Can we ask how Charlotte ended up here?" Blaine asked.

Mrs. Hanson sighed loudly.  "Her mom was 22 and a junkie.  She had sex with a different man each night, and had no idea who the father of her daughter was.  Somehow, she managed to avoid social services for three years.  But one day, a neighbor called because Charlotte had been crying for hours and no one else was home.  They searched the house and found drug parephernelia all over the place, empty alcohol bottles, barely any food, and a tiny, dirty baby.  They brought her to a hospital, arrested her mother, and she's been with us ever since.  She's such a sweet girl, but she doesn't like to open up to anyone, and most parents turn away when they learn she's a 'crack baby.'"

Kurt and Blaine exchanged sympathetic looks.  "Mrs. Hanson," Blaine began, "I know this is highly irregular considering we live in New York, but do you think that we could maybe start fostering Charlotte, and hopefully adopt her if she adjusts well?"

Mrs. Hanson looked shocked.  "Have you boys discussed this at all?"

Kurt laughed.  "Well, we never said that we wanted only one child, and it just seems so right.  Bren loves Charlotte already, and I know that Blaine won't leave her behind."

Blaine flushed slightly, but nodded fervently.  "I can even take time off and stay in Ohio for a few months if that will help our chances.  Kurt can fly out on weekends with Brendan.  But, I think we're meant to be Charlotte's parents."

Mrs. Hanson smiled.  "Honestly, I can't think of anyone better for her than you two boys.  I can call her social worker and we can begin the paperwork."

* * *

Blaine and Kurt broke the news to Brendan and Charlotte at the same time.

"You mean I'm gonna be a big brother?" Brendan asked excitedly.

"Yup.  Well, if it's what Charlotte wants," Blaine answered.

Brendan turned to the little girl.  "Do you wanna be my sister?" he asked.

She looked between the two adults standing before her and began to quake in fear.  Swiftly, Kurt knelt down to talk to her.

"Sweetie, Blaine and I really want you to be a part of our family.  And it's obvious that Brendan has already decided that you're going to be his sister.  It would mean the world to all of us if you'd agree to come live with us.  But it's your choice, and we won't mind if you say no."

Her wide blue eyes blinked up at Kurt before she finally opened her mouth and offered a quiet "Okay."

* * *

Instead of staying with Mark and Elise in their crowded house, Blaine and Charlotte moved in with Burt and Carole.  Carole absolutely doted on the small girl, but Blaine was most surprised by Burt's reaction.

"I know most dads say that they want a son, but I always wanted a little girl that I could dress up as a princess.  I guess I got a bit of that with Kurt, but that wasn't quite the same."

Charlotte surprised everyone by attaching herself to Burt from the moment she met him.  The two made an adorable pair.  By the end of the first month, she was calling Burt and Carole grandpa and grandma, and was calling Blaine daddy.  She'd also started wearing Burt's flannel shirts whenever he would let her, and spent her afternoons at the shop.

Kurt was more than a little jealous that his husband got to spend so much time with their new daughter, but he knew that this was how it had to be.  In the meantime, he and Brendan spent all the time that they weren't at work or school or visiting Ohio working on Charlotte's bedroom in their New York house.  

Blaine had been talking to Charlotte's social worker quite a lot, and they had been able to speed up the process of adoption.  Of course, there would be New York social workers checking up on them for the first few months, but she could officially be theirs - in New York - in just a few weeks' time.  

Once the school year was over, Blaine and Charlotte officially moved back to New York as father and daughter.

Kurt and Brendan were waiting for them anxiously at the airport with flowers and teddy bears.

As soon as Blaine walked out of the baggage claim holding a suitcase in one hand and Charlotte's tiny hand in his other, Kurt and Brendan charged at them.

The four embraced tightly, even shed a few tears, as a complete family.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone has forgotten, the reason why Blaine (and Kurt) so fervently believe that Charlotte is supposed to be theirs and it's a sign is because the protagonist of Blaine's first film The Lives We Hide (who was somewhat based off of him) was named Charlotte.  
> And I just really love that name ;)


	9. Daddy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: one of their kids get bullied at school because of having two fathers and Kurt  
> and blaine could find a really sweet way of making them feel better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, I'm a dick. I'm officially the worst person ever. I apologize so, so, so, so, so much for just stopping writing this. Honestly, I'd written everything a long while ago, and I kinda lost steam on this story. But I'm slowly starting to make my way through the suggestions people dropped (emphasis on slowly). If you have any more suggestions, leave a review or PM me. I can't promise they'll be written soon, but I will try to write them all!
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to Drunalove on fanfiction.net who prompted it for me! I really like this one, since I'm exploring the kids more, something I hadn't really thought too much about before.

When Brendan was little, he had a father.  Other kids in his kindergarten class talked about playing ball with their  _daddies,_  but all Brendan knew was an angry man shouting, " _I am your_ **_father!_ ** _"_ at him as he cowered in a corner.

And then one day, Brendan and his mommy were making dinner together when his  _father_ came home.

Brendan didn't understand why, but his mommy's eyes grew wide and scared, and she told him to go to his room.  She told him not to leave until she came to get him.

She never came to get him.

Brendan sat next to his bed, curled up in a ball and holding tightly to his teddy bear.  He could hear his  _father's_ shouts and his mommy's pleas from downstairs.  He heard thumps and crashes.  He heard his mommy scream.

That was the last he ever heard of his mommy.

A long time later, a nice lady came up to his room and told him that he had to pack a bag to leave.  Brendan didn't understand what was going on.  "Mommy said not to leave until she told me," he said.

"Your mommy is badly hurt, Brendan," the woman said.

"What happened?"

"Your daddy hit her."  Brendan was too scared to correct the woman and tell her that the man was his  _father._   "One of your neighbors heard noises and called us.  We're going to take you someplace safe where he can't hurt you again."

"What about mommy?"

The woman just looked sad.

* * *

Brendan decided from a young age that he didn't want a  _father_  - nor did he need one.  Having a  _father_  had never done him any good; in fact, it had ruined the most wonderful thing in the world, his mommy. 

So when Mrs. Kelly at the orphanage told him that two  _fathers_  were looking for a son, Brendan knew that he didn't want them.  Not because they were two men who were together, but because he didn't want another  _father,_ let alone two.

But then Mr. Hummel and Mr. Anderson walked into the room.  And somehow Brendan felt safe with them.

* * *

Brendan moved in with Mr. Hummel and Mr. Anderson (Kurt and Blaine, as they'd told him to call them) a few months later.

A few months after that, he was lying in bed and couldn't fall asleep.  Clutching his teddy bear's paw, Brendan walked into the living room.  Kurt and Blaine were curled together on the couch; Blaine reading a book and Kurt watching a program on TV.

"Bren!" Kurt said when he noticed the 10-year-old.  "What are you doing up?"

"I don't want a  _father,"_  he whispered.

Kurt and Blaine exchanged panicked looks.  "I thought you said that you liked living with us, Brendan," Blaine said quietly.

Brendan nodded his head violently.  "I love you," he said simply.  "But I never had a daddy before."  He paused for a moment, unsure himself of what he was trying to say.  "Can you be my daddies?"

* * *

The idea of having two daddies had never seemed strange to Brendan.  In fact, it was the perfect solution.  He'd never had a daddy before.  And he didn't want another mommy - his mommy had been perfect, and there was nothing and no one in the world who could replace her.

But some of the kids in school thought that having two daddies was bad.  They thought it was weird.  The older kids teased Brendan on the playground.

"My daddy says that sick freaks like your dads deserve to die!"

"You'll probably turn out just as creepy as them!"

"Your dads are just stupid fags!"

* * *

"Daddy?" Brendan said quietly.  He was sitting at the kitchen table, working on a math worksheet while Blaine prepared dinner.

"Yeah, Bren?" Blaine asked, not turning from the cutting board in front of him.

"What's a fag?"

Blaine's entire presence shifted immediately.  He grew unnaturally stiff, stopped chopping immediately, and sucked in a deep breath.  "Where did you hear that word?" he asked, trying to control his emotions.

"One of the boys at school told me that my dads are gross fags.  But I don't think you're gross.  Why would he say that about you and daddy?"

Blaine sighed and turned around, massaging his temples slightly.  "Brendan, you know how your daddy and I explained to you about our relationship?"

"You said that you are gay and you like other men instead of women and it's perfectly okay to be either way?"

Blaine nodded in confirmation.  "Well," he said slowly, "there are some people out there that don't think so.  There are a lot of people in the world who don't think that your daddy and I should be allowed to get married or adopt kids.  Those sort of people call men like your daddy and me 'fags.'  It's a really, really mean word for someone who is gay."

Brendan's eyes grew wide.  "But you're the best daddies in the world!" he said.

Blaine smiled, loving his son's pure innocence.  "Thank you, Bren," he said.  "You have no idea how much I love hearing you say that.  I know that your daddy and I are going to make some things harder for you, but you need to just remember that those people are just small-minded idiots, okay?"

Brendan giggled slightly, and Blaine sighed.  He'd been hoping that this conversation would never have to happen - or that it wouldn't happen for another few years at least.  "Come here, kid," he said warmly, holding his arms open to his son.

Brendan ran forward and launched himself into his daddy's warm embrace.  "I love you, daddy."

* * *

A lot of kids - and their parents - thought that Brendan's daddies were bad because they were two daddies instead of a mommy and a daddy.  But Brendan had had a  _father_ who was married to a mommy, and he was an awful parent.  Brendan knew that his daddies were the best parents ever, and it had nothing to do with who they loved, as long as they loved him.


	10. Grandpa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best and most nerve-wracking moments of Burt's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Kate, a guest reviewer on fanfiction.net, who wanted to see Carole and Burt meeting Brendan for the first time..

Burt Hummel will forever remember the day he found out he was going to become a grandfather. He'd been working late at the garage when his cell phone had started ringing. Annoyed that whoever was calling was going to make him even later for dinner, he didn't even look at the screen before accepting the call and barking, "What?" harshly into the speaker.

"Whoa, dad, if you didn't want to talk, you didn't have to answer," Kurt's voice said, distorted slightly by the old phone's speaker quality.

"Sorry son, I've had a long day," Burt said, "but I always have time for you. What's up?"

"Well," Kurt said, drawing out the word. Burt could practically  _hear_ the smile in his son's voice. "Blaine and I just had a very interesting talk."

"Oh?" Burt asked, completely perplexed as to where the conversation was going.

"Yeah. We've decided that we want to adopt."

Burt almost dropped the phone in surprise. "Wh-what?" he spluttered out.

"An older kid," Kurt continued. "Blaine wants to help someone who thinks everything's over, just like him."

Burt had to smile at that. It was a noble idea, and exactly the sort of thing that he'd come to expect of his son-in-law. "Are you sure you're ready for a kid, though?" Burt asked. "I mean, you both work pretty time consuming jobs that aren't exactly steady over time. And adopting an older kid isn't going to be easy. He or she is going to come with a lot of baggage."

"Dad, it's not going to happen tomorrow," Kurt whined, and Burt could still hear the headstrong teenager in his son. "We've only just started talking about it. And anyway, I've been working pretty steadily on Broadway, and with Blaine's movies and his jobs here and there on stage, we're more than financially comfortable. Plus, we've got Andrew in the city to help us out with stuff if necessary."

Burt nodded, even though Kurt couldn't see him. He knew that if anyone could handle this, it was Kurt and Blaine. They had already managed to make so much headway in their lives, despite the rocky starts.

He and Kurt talked for a while longer before Burt decided to give up on the inventory for the night and go home for dinner. He told Carole all about Kurt and Blaine's plans over a meatloaf.

* * *

Kurt called Burt incredibly regularly. He always knew when it was five o'clock on a Tuesday or 11:30 on a Thursday because his phone would begin ringing and Kurt's name would show up on the screen. Lately, most of the calls had been about struggles that the two men were going through to get approved for adoption, and then calls about all the kids they'd met and not clicked with.

So when Kurt called Burt at 2:45 on a Wednesday, he knew something had happened.

"What's wrong?" Burt said, fearing the worst.

"We've found him!" Kurt gushed.

"Who? What? Kurt, bud, you've got to give me more than that!"

"Our son, dad. Blaine and I just met our son!"

Kurt spent the next hour gushing to Burt about a little boy they'd just met named Brendan. Every little detail of the interaction was relayed over the phone, and by the time they hung up, Burt felt as if he knew the child, too.

* * *

Burt and Carole wanted to fly out to New York the minute that Brendan started staying with Kurt and Blaine. They wanted to be there two months later when the adoption was finalized, the papers were signed, and Brendan officially became an Anderson-Hummel.

But they couldn't.

They had to wait seven months from the day that Brendan had first entered their lives before they could meet him.

* * *

Two months after Brendan officially became theirs, Kurt and Blaine announced to the little boy that they were going to Ohio to visit Kurt's parents - Brendan's new grandparents.

The little boy looked nervous at the prospect, and Blaine laughed a little. "I was terrified when I first met Kurt's dad," Blaine revealed, "but Burt is a really amazing man. And Carole is the most generous woman I've ever met," Blaine added.

Brendan nodded. "What do I call them?" he whispered.

"You can call them grandma and grandpa, or gramps and gram, or Burt and Carole, or ... well, I can't really think of any other names right now, but I'm sure we could invent some!" Blaine joked.

Brendan laughed slightly, some of his nerves evaporating, and Kurt smiled proudly at his husband and his son.

* * *

Burt and Carole impatiently stood in the baggage claim area of the Columbus airport. Carole's arms were filled with two wrapped packages and a bouquet of flowers. She knew that a 10-year-old probably wouldn't appreciate the flowers as much, but Kurt certainly would.

Suddenly, a large crowd of people began walking over to conveyor belt five - the one for the arrival from New York. Burt and Carole tensed up when they realized that they were only seconds away from meeting their first grandchild.

"When did we become old enough to be grandparents?" Burt mused quietly.

"We blinked, and suddenly our kids were adults," Carole replied. "I think Kurt and Blaine are going to be amazing fathers."

"I know they are."

Blaine emerged first, dragging a large suitcase and carrying a duffel bag. Behind him, Burt and Carole spotted Kurt, holding a small bag in one hand and a little boy's hand in his other. When Kurt looked up and saw his father, he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.

Burt ran forward to help Blaine with the luggage, while Kurt bent down to whisper something into Brendan's ear. Burt and Carole stood to the side, trying not to stare too much and make the little boy nervous.

Blaine took Brendan's other hand when Kurt dropped it to hug his father and step-mother. He then turned around and smiled gently.

"Dad, Carole, this is Brendan, our son." Burt's chest tightened when he heard the word  _son_ drop from Kurt's lips. "Bren, this is my dad and my step-mom."

The little boy looked up bashfully as his grip on Blaine's hand tightened. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hello, sweetie!" Carole gushed, kneeling down so she was at his level. "It's so good to finally meet you! Kurt's been talking nonstop about you for  _months_ and Burt and I were wondering when he was finally going to let us spoil you!"

The little boy looked a bit confused, but not uncomfortable. He smiled shyly, but didn't say anything else.

"Burt and I brought these for you," Carole said, holding out the flowers and the gifts.

"Really?" Kurt said from above, rolling his eyes. "We're not even out of the airport and you're  _already_  showering him with gifts? Are you trying to steal my son's affections from me?"

Brendan reached forward to take the first box that Carole offered. He gingerly ripped open the paper to reveal a child-sized football in a box.

"My son Finn loved football when he was your age, and he said that it would be a crime if you didn't have a ball of your own. He was worried that Kurt might not be the best sports instructor."

Kurt tried to huff indignantly, but the truth of the statement was obvious to everyone.

"Thanks," Brendan said.

"Maybe we can toss that around the yard while Carole gets lunch ready," Burt suggested. Brendan's wide flickered up to the man, and there was the slightest shade of fear there.

"That sounds like fun," Blaine added, noticing his son's hesitance. "Mind if I join in?"

Brendan nodded, and moved on to the second package. He pulled the paper away to reveal  _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_. Blaine grinned when he saw it.

"Aw, that's a great book!" he exclaimed. "That was my favorite book when I was your age. I took it everywhere with me." He didn't add the part about how he had wished that he could find a Hogwarts and a secret world that had been waiting to love him. He was just glad that Brendan had been able to find his family - and a year earlier than Harry had, too.

"Shall we head home?" Kurt suggested, taking the flowers from Carole since his son's hands were full.

"That sounds wonderful," Carole replied.

* * *

The rest of the week passed smoothly. It almost seemed like a dream how perfectly everything worked out. Brendan played football in the backyard with Blaine and Burt (and Kurt once or twice). He spent a few afternoons at the shop. He helped Carole make cupcakes and pies and macaroni and cheese. Burt snuck him out for ice cream at least once a day.

By the end of the week, the little boy couldn't have stopped smiling if he had tried.

* * *

If Burt had been terrified when Kurt had first called to tell him that he was thinking about adoption, all of Burt's fears were chased out of the window by the time Brendan and his dads left Ohio. He was under the little boy's spell, just like Kurt and Blaine.

Meeting Brendan was at the top of the list of the best moments in Burt's life - right up there with marrying Elizabeth, meeting and adopting Kurt, and meeting Carole.

But another moment joined that list a few months later.

Kurt called late one night, and Burt immediately assumed the worst.

"What's happened? Is everyone okay?" he asked.

"Yes, dad, I'm fine," Kurt replied, but Burt could hear tears in his son's voice.

"Kurt," he warned. "I'm your father. I know when you've been crying."

"Brendan asked if he could call me and Blaine daddy," Kurt said, pure joy radiating from his every word.

Burt felt tears come to his eyes too as he remembered the first time Kurt had called him and Lizzie dad and mom. "I'm so proud of you, son," Burt said.

When Kurt, Blaine, and Brendan came to Ohio for Christmas that year, Brendan called Burt and Carole grandpa and grandma.

That moment was the top of Burt's list, and he knew that it would never be displaced.


	11. The Luckiest Dog in the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another new addition to Blaine and Kurt's family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Murgy31 from fanfiction.net, who wanted a kitten and a puppy for Charlotte. And also to everyone who wanted more Charlotte. This is set a few years after the last drabble - Brendan is 13 by this point.
> 
> I'm not much of a cat person, but I do love puppies :) Rocky is (was) my dog, the one my family adopted when I was 10. We had to put him down when I was 16, but he was still the most wonderful, beautiful, gentle, sensitive, stupid dog I've ever met.

Charlotte's wide blue eyes jealously watched a girl who looked to be in her late teens as she threw a tennis ball to a large dog in the middle of Central Park.

"Daddy," she said, tugging on Blaine's hand, "can we get a puppy?  _Please_?"

Blaine sighed. "Char, you know I would like nothing more than to get a dog. But the apartment just isn't big enough for someone else. Plus, you know your dad would freak out of he got dog hair on any of his clothes."

Kurt, who had been walking with Brendan a few feet ahead of his husband and daughter, turned around to playfully stick his tongue out at Blaine.

"Oh stop it," Blaine said, "you know I love you!"

"Dad!" Brendan complained, drawing the word out into a few syllables. "Stop it! You're embarrassing me!"

"Are you embarrassed by us?" Kurt asked, feigning indignation. "I am appalled. To think that my own son is embarrassed by a little affection in public..." He trailed off as he jumped forward and collected Brendan into a strong hug.

"Dad!" the 13-year-old shouted, giggling while trying to look unhappy and failing miserably.

While Kurt and Brendan had been distracting each other, Blaine and Charlotte had walked over to the girl and her dog.

"Can we pet your dog?" Blaine asked as Charlotte waited eagerly by his legs.

"Of course!" the girl replied. "Daisy just  _loves_ attention, doesn't she?" The dog barked and jumped a bit when she heard her name.

As soon as she was given permission, Charlotte ran forward and held out a hand to the dog's nose. The dog was a bit more forward than the young girl, however, and lurched forward to lick her cheeks. Charlotte giggled happily as she bunched her hands up in the dog's fur.

When Kurt and Brendan realized that the other half of their family had abandoned them, they looked up and saw both Blaine and Charlotte sitting on the ground, petting the dog, with identical looks of pure joy on their faces. At that moment, Kurt knew that they really were one family, even if no one was technically related.

He also knew that he was going to have to get a dog.

* * *

"Poodles don't shed," Kurt offered, looking up from his computer screen where he had too many tabs about dogs pulled up.

"Yeah," Blaine said, "but they're so picky and stuck up."

"Blaine, they're dogs."

"I know, but they always just seem so ... snooty. Like they're always judging everyone."

Kurt laughed at his husband, sometimes wondering how this man was the same as the serious one that he saw occasionally. "Fine, fine," he conceded. "No poodles. Any other suggestions?"

"Well, Jack Russell Terriers seem -"

"No," Kurt cut Blaine of emphatically before he could even finish the sentence.

"What?" Blaine asked indignantly.

"We are not getting one of those little terrors. They're cute and small, sure, but I've heard that they never stop moving. I can't deal with that."

"Okay," Blaine said with a laugh. "I'm sure we'll think of something." He leaned forward and kissed Kurt gently on the lips before going back to searching through his book on dog breeds.

* * *

One morning in late July, Kurt and Blaine woke their kids early and got them in the car without telling them where they were going. They drove for over an hour, far out of the city, and pulled up outside of a humane society building.

As soon as she saw the sign, Charlotte began bouncing in her seat. "DaddyDaddyDaddyDaddyDaddy!" she gushed. "Why are we - I mean, are we - are we - are we getting a puppy?"

Blaine grinned at the bouncing ball of energy that was his daughter and the only slightly more controlled body that was his son. "Not a puppy, exactly," he said. "Get out of the car and we'll show you."

Inside, they walked up to a counter and Kurt spent a few minutes talking to a woman. While they spoke, Blaine and the kids looked at the dogs and cats in pens in the shelter.

"They all look so sad in their cages," Charlotte observed. "I wanna help them all, daddy."

"I know, honey," Blaine said. "But we can only help one of them today." He couldn't help but feel a bit of kinship with the abandoned pets, and he was sure that his kids felt it too.

"Come on, guys," Kurt called. "He's just over here!"

Charlotte jumped around and ran to her dad's side, while Brendan stayed with Blaine.

"This is gonna be the luckiest dog in the world," the teenager said.

"Why?"

"Because you and daddy are adopting him."

* * *

The next few days were devoted almost entirely to the newest addition to the Anderson-Hummel household, a yellow lab named Rocky. Rocky was about six years old and had been neglected by his previous owners. Despite that, he was the most gentle and loving dog that Kurt and Blaine had met in their quest to find a pet for their kids, even if he was a bit dim.

Even though it meant a lot more work - remembering to walk the dog enough that he didn't have accidents in the house, rearranging certain things so they would be out of the way of the dog's strong tail - Blaine and Kurt knew that it had been the right decision. If the dog's calming and gentle demeanor hadn't convinced them of that, their kids' reaction definitely did.


	12. One Hell of a Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine and Kurt have been slowly introducing Brendan to his new (and somewhat convoluted) family since the adoption was finalized. Two make quite the impression on the little boy - his godmother, "Aunt" Rachel, and Uncle Finn, a kindred spirit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to klainer67 from fanfiction.net who wanted Brendan and Charlotte to get older and meet "Aunt Rachel" and to Monchele4ever05, also from fanfiction.net, who wanted to see when Brendan first meets Rachel and Finn.
> 
> This was my first time writing Finn since Cory's tragic passing, and it was a bit emotional for me - because I had such high hopes for Finn and I hoped we could see his character develop (and that's nothing compared to how much I wished the best for Cory). However, it's already been established that Finn is present in the future in this verse since no one could have foreseen such a tragic accident, so I'm not going to backtrack and get rid of him. I'm just happy that he can live on in our hearts and our fanfics.
> 
> Also, Rachel and Finn do not end up together in this verse, so meeting them happens separately. They stay friends and will always remember each other as their first true loves, but are not lovers (except for a few occasional drunk hookups!)
> 
> As always, send me prompts and you'll get a chapter dedicated to you, too!

Rachel Berry, resident Broadway diva, will be the first to tell  _anyone_ who asks that her voice is her most precious commodity and she therefore cannot do  _anything_ that might damage it. Frequently, she'll spend days or even weeks in almost total vocal rest except for performances. But there are exceptions to every rule.

For example, Rachel was opening a show in Chicago before it moved to Broadway in the fall. She had the female lead, and even though it was a mostly male-centric show, her part was still vitally important. So when she exited the theatre after the show, she agreed to sign autographs and take pictures with her fans, but refused to speak.

However, when she got home and listened to her answering machine, she screeched at the top of her lungs so long that her neighbor asked if she was okay.

_"Hi Rachel, it's Kurt. I know you're probably going to hate me for what I'm about to say, but Blaine and I didn't want to jinx it. Anyway ... for the past couple of months, Blaine and I have been going through the process of getting approved as adoptive parents. We've met with a ton of kids, and lately, we've been visiting with one boy in particular. Brendan. He's just - I can't even describe it. He really feels like he's_ ours _, you know? He is just the funniest little thing and a ball of energy and - anyway, we're going to adopt him. Yeah. Blaine and I are going to be fathers. Isn't that crazy? Brendan's going to come live with us in about a week, and then there will be a trial period in case he hates it, but hopefully he won't. Wow, that's a lot. I guess you would be the one to have an answering machine that doesn't cut off considering how much you love to talk, though, huh? Anyway, I know that neither Blaine nor I really do the whole "religion" thing, but we'd still like to ask you to be his godmother. Basically, the only thing you'd ever have to do as godmother is take care of him if something happens to us. Let me know, okay? Oh, and I hope your show is going well! Enjoy the windy city!"_

Rachel didn't spare a thought for the hour or the fact that she was on vocal rest. She picked up her phone and dialed Kurt's number. As soon as she heard the click that indicated that the call had been answered - before Kurt could even speak - she screamed again.

"OH MY GOD! You're adopting a son! I can't even be angry that you didn't tell me until now because I'm just so excited to hear about him! Tell me everything! What's he look like? Can he sing? How old is he? Does he realize that he is going to be the son of a Tony Award-winning performer?"

"Whoa, Rachel, slow down!" Blaine's calm voice said when the woman finally took a breath. "Let me put you on speaker, although I think Kurt probably heard all of that already..."

Rachel repeated her questions and the two men quickly filled her in on everything that had been going on - the adoption approval process, meeting the kids, what Brendan was like. It was weird to think that they would soon be the parents of a ten-year-old, but at the same time, they sounded  _so ready_.

"So," Rachel said, just before hanging up, "when do I get to meet my godson?"

* * *

Rachel moved back to New York about two weeks before the adoption was finalized. As she had a few months before the show's official premier on Broadway, she had plenty of downtime, which she had decided would be devoted entirely to her new godson.

There was a loud banging on the apartment door, which shook Brendan from his concentration. He looked up from the math worksheet he had been doing and his scared eyes alighted on the door. Immediately sensing their son's distress (because they both already thought of Brendan as their son), Blaine ran up to Brendan while Kurt ran to the door.

"It's probably just our friend Rachel," Blaine explained in a soothing voice. "She's really excited to meet you, but she can be a bit much."

Brendan nodded his head and bit his lip. "She's the one who's going to be my godmother?"

"If you're okay with that," Blaine said. "Basically, she'd be a lot like an aunt to you. She'll probably spoil you rotten, so that's always a good reason to keep someone in your life!"

Brendan smiled slightly and got up from the table. Even though he was ten, he still took Blaine's hand as they walked to the sitting room.

Kurt and Rachel were on the couch, holding a hushed conversation. Blaine only overheard the last few words, but knew well enough what Kurt was saying. THey'd discussed how best to introduce Brendan to each of their friends and family quite a few times, so Kurt was only warning Rachel now to try to tone down her usual enthusiasm so as to not terrify the young boy.

As soon as they entered the room, both Kurt's and Rachel's eyes fell on Brendan.

"Hi Rachel," Blaine said. "This is our son, Brendan. Brendan, this is our friend Rachel."

"You can call me Auntie Rachel if you want," the girl added helpfully.

Brendan nodded and quietly said, "Hi."

"Oh, you are just so precious!" Rachel cooed, standing up from the couch and walking towards the little boy. Turning to his fathers, she added, "He's going to be a heartbreaker one day, I can just tell."

It was a little awkward at first. Brendan didn't know how to talk to this woman, he didn't know what to say or how he was supposed to act. But even though he could see Blaine and Kurt's eyes rolling every so often, he loved listening to her. Everything she said was so ... passionate.

"Oh, and you'll all  _have_ to come to my show when it opens in September!" Rachel exclaimed. "I can get you front row tickets and then you can all come backstage!"

"What's the show about?" Brendan asked, surprising everyone. This was the first time he had taken initiative in a conversation.

"Well," Rachel said, before launching into an elaborate description of the plot. Soon, Brendan was laughing along with her as she described some of the characters' strange antics.

"It sounds like fun," he admitted shyly. "Can we go?" he asked, looking up to Blaine and Kurt with wide eyes.

"Of course," Blaine said, smile growing as Kurt squeezed his hand.

* * *

Over the weeks, Brendan met the rest of his new family, including all of Blaine's convoluted family tree, real and surrogate. However, the one person that he kept hearing about over and over again was the one person that it seemed to be the hardest to track down.

"We'll be going to Ohio in a month or so," Kurt told the boy over dinner one night, "and you can meet my dad and step-mom then, but my step-brother is going to be out of town. He's a teacher there, but since it'll be the beginning of his summer vacation, I guess he's leaving. I'm sure you'll love him when you meet him, though. He's basically a big kid himself."

Brendan grinned and nodded. He had heard a lot of stories about Finn from Kurt and Blaine, and even a few wistful ones from Aunt Rachel.

* * *

When they returned from Ohio, Brendan clutching his new football proudly as he thought about playing with Blaine in the park, he couldn't help but notice that Blaine seemed a bit distracted. Kurt, it seemed, noticed as well.

"What's up with you, Blaine?" Kurt asked as they walked away from the baggage claim.

"Hm? Oh, nothing," Blaine said airily, swiveling his head around in all directions. "Ah.  _Finally_."

"Finally  _what_?" Kurt asked, but Blaine didn't even need to answer his question.

"Kurt!" an incredibly tall man called from across the room.

Kurt's head jerked up immediately, and his eyes widened comically when his gazed landed on the somewhat familiar looking man. "Finn? What are you  _doing_ here?" he asked, running forward and hugging the man tightly.

"I came to visit you guys. I had to make sure that the apartment was all good. And, of course, I couldn't stand to wait until Christmas to meet this guy," he said, gaze now falling on Brendan. Finn crouched down so he was now at Brendan's level. "Hey there. You're Brendan, right? I'm Kurt's brother, Finn."

Brendan smiled shyly and nodded.

"Nice football you've got there," Finn observed. "Did Kurt or Blaine ever tell you that I played in high school? I was the quarterback, and, not to brag or anything, but I think I was pretty good."

Brendan chuckled.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself," Finn offered, standing up and holding out a hand to the boy. They began chatting, slowly at first, but it became quite animated by the time they reached the car.

Blaine and Kurt locked eyes as they loaded their bags into the trunk and smiled as a sudden peal of laughter floated out from the backseat and Finn indignantly said, "No way! Iron Man is nowhere  _near_ as cool at Batman!"

"We've got one hell of a family," Blaine said to Kurt.

"I know," Kurt agreed. "I love it."


	13. Find Your Passion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine and Rachel bond and Rachel encourages Blaine to go back to Broadway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter started out as a prompt fill, but then turned into Blaine and Rachel bonding.
> 
> As always, send prompts if you want to see more of these guys! Once I run out of prompts or ideas for this, I'll start posting the other fic that I wrote (which is currently on AO3).

Once Charlotte and Blaine joined Kurt and Brendan in New York, Blaine made it a point to stay out of the apartment most of the time. He loved his daughter to pieces and it was almost physically painful to not get to spend every waking moment with the little girl as he had gotten so accustomed to doing in Ohio, but he knew that she had to create a relationship with her other father and her brother if this was going to work.

So Blaine ended up spending a lot of time catching up with friends that he'd grown apart from over the years. He saw every show that a friend from NYADA was in that summer. He spent countless hours on the phone with Ethan, Callie, Melanie, Andrew, Elise, Mark. He and Brian got together and began writing again, although most ideas ended up in the bin.

He also grew a lot closer to Rachel that summer.

She was in a break between shows and also preparing to take on another role: guest instructor at NYADA. As one of the most successful recent graduates, Carmen had been trying to get Rachel to come back numerous times over the years. Sure, Rachel had given a few concerts and talks here and there, but this was the first time she had ever committed to teaching a class. And she was terrified.

Frankly, Blaine was relieved to finally see this side of Rachel.

He spent hours with her pouring over notes from their days at NYADA to help come up with suggestions about what she could lecture on. For once, Rachel seemed human, and Blaine wanted to help preserve this.

As a consequence of spending so much time with Rachel, however, the girl also decided to repay the favor and occasionally turned the conversation back on Blaine.

"How come you haven't done anything big since  _Phantom_?" she asked one afternoon.

Blaine stiffened and shrugged. "I've done plenty of big stuff since then. I wrote two movies, remember? And I starred in one." he deflected.

"Yeah, but I thought you wanted to perform on Broadway, not in front of a green screen. You've only done a few small plays since then."

"I just haven't really been able to find anything that really inspired me, you know? Like,  _Phantom_ was fun, but  _The Lives We Hide_ was something that I was so passionate about and connected to - it's hard to go back to singing and dancing like an idiot after that."

Rachel grinned. "That's why you need resident Broadway Diva Rachel Berry on your side. Find something you're passionate about, and I can guarantee that it'll happen."

* * *

Blaine went home that evening to find his husband, son, and daughter running around the house, screaming like banshee, and wearing ... was that  _underwear?_ \- on their heads.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked, announcing his presence. "I can always come back later..."

But little Charlotte just ran up to Blaine and squeezed his legs tightly. She still didn't talk much, but had warmed up completely to the family. Blaine ruffled her hair a little before turning to Kurt and pecking him lightly on the lips.

Blaine was quieter than usual during dinner as he thought about what Rachel had suggested. Going back to Broadway  _would_  be fun, but he didn't want to leave the kids home alone or with a babysitter. Kurt was poised to return to  _Beauty and the Beast_  in the fall when they started school.

But at the same time, Blaine didn't want to just be some stay at home househusband. So that night, he began his research.

* * *

"This is going to sound really strange," Blaine announced when he walked into Rachel's spacious studio apartment a few days later.

"Believe me, Blaine, there are very few things that you could say that could surprise me anymore."

"Well, there's one show that I've always wanted to do, but it's - I mean, I couldn't take the kids to see it, and it's probably not what you were expecting when you told me to find something I'm passionate about -"

"Just spit it out already!"

"Threepenny."

"As in  _The Threepenny Opera_? Brecht?"

Blaine nodded.

"Well, that certainly isn't what I was expecting, you're right about that," Rachel said, a bit of a grin on her face.

"I know. It's just - so different. The whole Brechtian style where you actually try to make the audience uncomfortable and aware that they're watching actors on a stage just seems so cool. And I've always loved Mack the Knife."

Rachel nodded enthusiastically. "Broadway hasn't seen something like that since ... well since the 2006 revival, I guess," she mused. "It would certainly be an interesting change of pace. And I've wanted to get into producing shows for a while. You know, Blaine, this just might work!"

Five months later, rehearsals began.


	14. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine and Charlotte have just returned home. What do Kurt and Brendan have in store for them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to klainer67 (from fanfiction.net) once again because of all the amazing reviews and because we never got to see Charlotte meet "Aunt" Rachel in "One Hell of a Family"
> 
> This one takes place a few hours after the events of "Charlotte, part 2" - aka right after Charlotte and Blaine join Kurt and Brendan in New York.

Kurt and Brendan proudly gave Charlotte the grand tour of the apartment while Blaine busied himself with putting their things away. Blaine made sure to be there when Kurt revealed Charlotte's bedroom, however. Kurt had sent him pictures of the progress on the room and he was nothing short of excited to see how his daughter would react.

When the door opened, there was a moment where Blaine, Kurt, and Brendan all held their breath. Charlotte stood frozen in the doorway, her eyes widening almost comically. She looked back to Blaine, as if seeking confirmation that this was, in fact, her room. He nodded and gently pushed her further into the room.

Charlotte's wide eyes raked over the pale pink walls as if she had never seen anything more magnificent in her life. Over the window were gauzy white curtains which matched the canopy that hung over her bed. The duvet perfectly matched the paint on the walls, and left the whole room feeling slightly like walking into a giant cotton candy machine. But that didn't seem to be what caught Charlotte's attention. One whole wall of the room was painted expertly with the Disney princesses smiling out on the white and pink room.

The tiny girl reverentially walked up to the wall and held out her hand, as if trying to convince herself it was real. When she came in contact with the solid wall that Ariel was painted on, she let out and excited squeal and turned around to face her dads and brother. Although she didn't say anything, the giant grin on her face spoke volumes.

* * *

An hour or so after the girl had gotten settled into her room, Kurt suggested that the entire family go for a walk in central park. What Blaine didn't know was that Kurt and Brendan had planned a welcome home party for both Blaine and Charlotte and they needed to get out of the apartment so Rachel and their other friends could set it up.

The walk combined with the morning of travel and new experiences tired Charlotte out quickly, and after only an hour, Blaine was carrying her in his arms and trying to keep her awake to see the statues in the garden or the sailboats on the lake.

Brendan ran in front of his dads, allowed a bit more freedom than he might usually get since they were itching for alone time after being apart for so long. Despite the sleeping six-year-old, they were able to be plenty affectionate to fill in some of the gaps from the last few months.

"I missed you," Kurt said quietly.

"I missed you, too. You and Brendan. I never want to do this again," Blaine agreed. "I mean, it was wonderful to live with your parents and spend so much time with Char, but I just - I hare being apart from you."

"Me too," Kurt said. He leaned around the small girl in Blaine's arms and kissed his husband sweetly on the lips. "Ready to go back home?"

"Charlotte definitely is," Blaine said, laughing slightly.

Kurt nodded in agreement. "Bren, come on!" he shouted. "We're going to go back home."

Brendan came running up to his dads eagerly, putting up no protest. If Blaine thought that was strange, he made no mention of it.

* * *

"Alright, everyone, quiet!" Rachel instructed the people gathered in Kurt and Blaine's living room. "Kurt just texted me and they're all on their way back now!"

The gathered crowd nodded as they got in place. In addition to Rachel, there were a few of Kurt and Blaine's other friends from NYADA and from work, as well as two of Brendan's friends from school, their parents and their siblings. It wasn't a large group, but they didn't want to scare the newest addition to the Anderson-Hummel family.

There was a large sheet cake sitting on the kitchen table with "Welcome Home Blaine and Charlotte!" written on it in big letters. Bowls of chips, popcorn, and other snacks rested on almost every other surface in the apartment. And that was nothing compared to the sheer amount of balloons, streamers, and decorations on the walls and ceiling. They were ready.

Just in time, too, it seemed. The doorknob rattled a little as the key turned inside it, and the door swung open to reveal an indulgent grinning Kurt and Brendan standing in front of a shocked Blaine who was holding a sleeping child - who could only be Charlotte.

"Surprise!" the guests said, in quieter tones than they would have otherwise so as not to rouse the sleeping girl.

* * *

Charlotte had been gently shaken awake and was now sitting shyly between her dads and eating a piece of cake while all the guests kept coming up to talk to her.

She blinked, looking at the next guest from under her long eyelashes.

"Oh, she is just  _too_ cute!" Rachel squealed, hugging Kurt tightly. "Hi honey, I'm Rachel," she introduced. "I've been best friends with Kurt here forever!"

Charlotte nodded a little, but didn't look away. Perhaps she was transfixed by Rachel's shiny jewelry.

"Oh! I almost forgot! I have something for you!" Rachel said, and she dove under the couch and produced a large rectangular box.

Charlotte's eyes widened and she looked up at Blaine for approval before beginning to tear the paper away. Inside, she pulled out a pale lilac dress with a full tulle skirt and a small flower pattern on the top. Her eyes grew even larger, if possible, and a grin broke out on her face.

"Wow," the little girl breathed out. "It's like a princess!"

Rachel giggled. "Well, you let me know if your daddies don't let you live every day like a princess, okay? We'll have to schedule a lot of girl time to make up for all the boys that you're living with."

Charlotte nodded enthusiastically as she hugged the dress to her chest.


	15. Journey to the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine's first class at NYADA - singing for Carmen Tibideaux.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just watched Anastasia with my friends and had so many feels! Expect at least one more Klaine/Anastasia-related fic in this verse!  
> Takes place at the very beginning of Blaine's first year at NYADA, so right before the end of Searching for Home (I think)

Blaine could list the moments of his life where he had felt the most pressure pushing down on his nerves easily - there were too many.  Asking a boy to a dance in a homophobic environment.  Going home every day to an abusive home.  Asking for help.  Being attacked for who he was.  Trying to get out.

But this might just beat them all.

It's only the first official day of classes at NYADA, and he's already terrified.  Carmen Tibideaux has taken the entire class of freshmen into the theatre and told them that they have to perform for her.  Without preparation.  It's like  _another_ audition.  And Blaine simply can't deal with coming all the way to New York only to be sent packing after a few minutes there.

He watched as three of his classmates go up and sing their hearts out.  They're good, amazing even.  But they get barely any response from Carmen.

"Blaine Anderson."

That's it.  His name.  

Crap.  He still hasn't decided on a song. 

He walks extra slowly up to the band, wracking his brains.  And then a memory comes to him.   _He's young, probably eight or nine at most.  It's pouring rain, and all the kids at Greenway are stuck inside and going stir-crazy.  Mrs. Hanson puts in a movie to keep them occupied, but the boys begin to protest when they realize it's a "girly movie."  They all walk away, leaving Blaine and the girls to watch.  The swirling dancers in sparking dresses dance through Blaine's mind._

Blaine turned to his audience of classmates and Carmen nervously.  "Hi, I'm Blaine Anderson, and I'll be singing 'Journey to the Past' from  _Anastasia_."

His classmates began to mumble, probably laughing at his choice of song.  But Blaine was focused on Carmen, who simply raised her eyebrows in surprise and intrigue.

Then the music began, and Blaine forgot everything.

 _Heart don't fail me now_  
 _Courage don't desert me_  
 _Don't turn back now that we're here_  
 _People always say_  
 _Life is full of choices_  
 _No one ever mentions fear_  
 _Or how the world can seems so vast_  
 _On this journey to the past  
_  
Images of a broken childhood flickered before Blaine's eyes. __  


  
_Somewhere down this road_   
_I know someone's waiting_   
_Years of dreams just can't be wrong_   
_Arms will open wide_   
_I'll be safe and wanted_   
_Finally home where I belong_   
_Well starting now, I'm learning fast_   
_On this journey to the past_

And then he remembered meeting Mark and Elise and Callie and Ethan for the first time.  The first time he found a place to call home.  
  
He remembered Kurt.

  
_Home, love, family_   
_There was once a time_   
_I must've had them too_   
_Home, love, family_   
_I will never be complete until I find you_   
  
_One step at a time_   
_One hope then another_   
_Who knows where this road may go_   
_Back to who I was_   
_Onto find my future_   
_Things my heart still needs to know_   
_Yes, let this be a sign_   
_Let this road be mine_   
_Let it lead me to my past_   
_And bring me home_   
_At Last_

When Blaine finished singing, he looked out to the audience for the first time.  He was pleased to see that his classmates all appeared deeply moved - and shocked.  But his focus was once again drawn to Carmen.  She had an odd look on her face, as if she had read as deeply into the song as Blaine had delved.

"That was moving, Mr. Anderson," she said shortly.

 _Moving_.  That was the best compliment awarded all day.


	16. The Lost Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anderson-Hummel family movie night, featuring Anastasia and a bit of a sing along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter inspired by Anastasia! Honestly, I wish I had remembered how amazing this movie was earlier, then it would have played a much larger role in the original fic!
> 
> This is set a few months after Charlotte and Blaine came to New York from Ohio - the very beginning of first grade for Charlotte (she's 6 going on 7, Brendan's 10-11)

It had been Kurt's favorite movie as a child. Blaine had only seen it the one time, but it had always stuck with him. So despite Brendan's protests that it was a "girly" movie and he'd much rather watch  _Batman_ , they all piled on the living room couch and began stuffing their faces with popcorn and candy as the opening music began.

Charlotte squealed in delight at the beautiful, twirling, dancing ladies on the screen. She was entranced from the very first moment. Brendan let out a huff and sunk back in his seat.

And then Rasputin came on screen and Charlotte grabbed Kurt's hand. Brendan's interest was piqued as the movie started to tend more towards action. Charlotte could barely watch as people ran and screamed and the family was torn apart.

When she next opened her eyes, Anya was being kicked out of the orphanage she had called her home. Kurt's eyes flickered over to Blaine, but his husband wasn't letting the movie get to him.

From her position on the couch, sandwiched between her two fathers, Charlotte cooed and squealed at all the right moments. Brendan, on Blaine's other side, was even trying hard not to shout out at the screen with his younger sister - "The dog is a sign! Go to St. Petersburg!"

The whole family was bouncing along as Anya sang her way through the streets of St. Petersburg, Kurt and Blaine both chuckling at the "comrade" remarks thrown into the dialogue and the lack of Russia's most popular commodity, vodka. But when Anya entered the old palace, they all grew still and silent.

The beautiful music washed over them all and, almost unconsciously, Blaine started humming under his breath. In time with the film, he began to sing,

_Dancing bears, painted wings_   
_Things I almost remember_   
_And a song someone sings_   
_Once upon a December_

Kurt looked over to his husband to see tears in his eyes. He reached across their daughter and squeezed Blaine's hand lightly before joining in the next verse.

_Someone holds me safe and warm_   
_Horses prance through a silver storm_   
_Figures dancing gracefully_   
_Across my memory_

Blaine wrapped an arm around both his children and squeezed. Little Charlotte, unaware of the emotionality of the scene jumped up from her seat on the couch when Anya began dancing. With a soft smile, Blaine followed and began leading her in a simple waltz.

_Far away, long ago_   
_Glowing dim as an ember_   
_Things my heart used to know_   
_Once upon a December_

Kurt and Brendan soon joined them in the middle of the living room, dancing wildly.

_Someone holds me safe and warm_   
_Horses prance through a silver storm_   
_Figures dancing gracefully_   
_Across my memory_

At some point, Brendan had pulled Charlotte from Blaine's arms and Kurt had fallen into her place. They rested their heads against each other and shared the simple moment of love and memory.

_Far away, long ago_   
_Glowing dim as an ember_   
_Things my heart used to know_   
_Things it yearns to remember_

_And a song someone sings_   
_Once upon a December_

"I wanna be a princess just like her!" Charlotte proclaimed when the song ended and Anya transformed from the princess of dreams into the ragged orphan of reality.

"You are, sweetheart," Kurt whispered. "You're our lost princess."


	17. At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At last, Kurt and Blaine have a night out just to themselves - no work or kids to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by guest reviewer Lolita2611 on ff.net - "I actually would love to see a little more klaine because i think that we havent had one chapter entirely based on their love. Do you think you coud write that ? It would be awesome ! Like a few days when the children are at their granparents and so Blaine and Kurt are alone in New York and Enjoy the Time spent together ! :)"
> 
> I tried to fill it as best as possible. It was going to be a pre-kids Klaine NYE in New York since I started writing this on the first, but then this happened. Even though the kids don't actually appear, Klaine can't seem to get their minds off of them. But I really tried to write just them (they tried really hard to have a kid-free night, too)!
> 
> Song is "At Last" by the amazing and incomparable Etta James. This fic takes place a little over a year after Charlotte's adoption.

"How do you think they're doing?" Blaine asked Kurt desperately as the two men walked down the street.

"They're fine, honey. We only left them five minutes ago."

"I know, but we've never left them with a babysitter before. It's always been my family or your parents. How do we know they're okay?"

"Blaine, you have to stop this. Kailey came highly recommended by Shelby. She's a sweet girl and she knows what she's doing."

"Do you think we should call, just to make sure they're okay?"

Kurt let out a noise that was something like a combination of a laugh, a sigh, and a grunt of frustration. "Blaine, when did you become such an overbearing parent?"

Blaine flushed slightly and looked down.

"Honey, this is our first kid-free night in  _ages_! I want to enjoy a delicious meal and a magnificent show with the most handsome man I know. And I'd prefer it if you could maybe pay a little attention to me, too."

"Sorry," Blaine said, muttering the word to the ground. "I just – I don't want them to think we're abandoning them or something. I don't want them to think we're just like their birth parents were."

"Blaine," Kurt said firmly, grabbing Blaine by the shoulders and looking him squarely in the eyes. "We are nothing like those people, and Charlotte and Brendan know that. They know how much we love them and that we'll never leave them alone."

"Yeah," Blaine conceded. "You're right. I just – it's so hard to trust people when all you know is  _that_. I just- I don't – I don't know. I'm being ridiculous."

"No, you're not," Kurt said. "You're being a father. Every father is supposed to worry about his children and want the best for them. And that's part of the reason why I love you so much."

Blaine blushed a little more as Kurt took his hand and they resumed their stroll.

* * *

Dinner was at a small Italian restaurant that no one seemed to know about. Kurt and Blaine, as much as they knew the restaurant deserved all the praise in the world, wanted to keep it their own secret. Most of the food was cooked by the owner and his mother – both of whom had moved to New York from just outside Florence only ten years earlier. They spoke only enough English to greet Kurt and Blaine like old friends and tell them what they would be eating. Both men trusted their opinions implicitly, as the food was never anything less than amazing, so they were content to sit and wait for the mystery dishes to come out.

"It really has been too long since we last did this, hasn't it?" Blaine mused as he stroked his thumb over the back of Kurt's hand.

"Mmm," Kurt replied, fully immersed in the romantic and hidden atmosphere of the restaurant. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Blaine grinned, always charmed by his husband's antics. "I was just saying that it's been too long since we last had a night to ourselves."

"Yes," Kurt agreed. "Don't get me wrong, I love our kids, and I love every minute we spend with them, but I am so happy to have some time with just you right now."

"Okay, so let's do it," Blaine said, seemingly making a decision.

"Do what?"

"Let's have a night just for us. Just you and me. Nothing fancy, no one else."

"Isn't that what we're doing?" Kurt asked, perplexed.

"How can I spend every minute soaking up my amazing husband if there's a show distracting me from him in the background? I say we blow it off and just have the night to ourselves."

Kurt grinned, leaned over the table, and captured Blaine's lips in a soft kiss. "I like the way you think," he purred.

* * *

After a mouthwatering meal and a quick call to the babysitter to let her know they might be a bit late, Kurt and Blaine left the restaurant and looked around the mostly empty street.

"What do we do now?" Blaine asked.

"This was your idea," Kurt reminded him.

"Yeah," Blaine joked, "so that means it's your turn to decide now."

"God, we've really become those parents whose lives revolve around their kids," Kurt commented.

"We can't help it that our kids just happen to be the best."

"What did we do before we had kids? When we were just Kurt and Blaine?"

"Well," Blaine said, pulling an intensely thoughtful face, "I seem to recall a lot of time spent in the bedroom, but unfortunately, our home is occupied at the moment."

Kurt slapped Blaine on the arm and let out a huff of indignation. "Blaine!" he screeched.

Blaine couldn't help but laugh as he tightened his hold on Kurt's hand and pulled him down the street. "I was just kidding," he said, before softly adding, " _kinda_. Anyway, I have an idea."

Kurt followed blindly behind as the streets soon grew achingly familiar. He hadn't tread this path in years, yet he remembered it vividly. In front of them was a small coffeehouse. It was nothing too special – except to the two men. Many an afternoon had been spent curled up in the armchairs in front of the ever-lit fireplace, reading, studying, or simply drinking coffee and soaking up the other's presence.

"We're just Kurt and Blaine tonight," Blaine whispered before opening the door for Kurt.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the two men emerged from within the warm coffee shop, laughing uproariously as they recounted memories from their time at NYADA.

"And -" Kurt gasped out through laughs, "do you remember that time when – when Rachel tried to take – to take over directing the senior musical when she was still a junior?"

Blaine had to hunch over to collect his breath. He hadn't laughed this hard in – well, it had been too long. "Yes!" he exclaimed a bit too loudly. Anyone passing the two men would have assumed they were incredibly drunk, despite neither having had a drop of alcohol yet that evening. "Amanda was directing, wasn't she?"

Kurt nodded, and Blaine brought the memory back to the forefront of his mind. Amanda had been almost exactly the same as Rachel, except perhaps a bit softer and more tactful. Watching the two girls go head to head had been hilarious, terrifying, and intense all at the same time.

It had been ages since the two men had let go so much. In the past few years, they had needed to be serious and engaged in their work and family. What with Blaine's writing, Kurt's shows, and adopting two kids, they'd barely had a moment to stop and think.

"This is exactly what I've needed," Kurt remarked with surprising calmness considering how he had just been on the verge of rolling on the ground with laughter.

"Well the night's not over yet," Blaine commented. "Let's see what else we can do."

* * *

Somehow they ended up lying on their backs in a clearing in central park. It probably wasn't the safest place to be at midnight, but they felt secure with each other. Kurt wasn't even complaining about the grass stains that were sure to be forming on his neat designer clothes.

The city was brightly lit and pollution clouded the air, so their stargazing was a bit stilted, but the moment was still perfect.

"You can see some stars over there," Kurt said, picking up his hand and pointing off to the side.

"I think that one's an airplane."

"I know what an airplane looks like, Blaine! It's not moving."

"Well, it just blinked, so it can't be a star."

"Stars twinkle."

"Yeah, in  _cartoons_."

"Shut up."

The two men lapsed into a comfortable silence, more than content to simply  _be_ , especially together. The moon rose higher in the sky, providing a silvery illumination that seemed to transform the park.

Making a split second decision, Kurt jumped to his feet, slightly disturbing Blaine's head, which had been resting on his shoulder. "May I have this dance?" he invited, holding out a hand toward his husband.

"There isn't any music, Kurt."

"We can make our own."

Blaine laughed at the corniness of the situation but also rose to his feet and took his husband's outstretched hand.

In a soft voice, he began singing as their slow movements became one.

" _At last  
_ _My love has come along_  
My lonely days are over  
And life is like a song"

Kurt smiled peacefully as he took over for his husband.

" _Oh yeah yeah  
_ _At last_

" _The skies above are blue  
_ _My heart was wrapped up in clover_  
The night I looked at you"

When their voices joined together and rose up into the night sky, both men felt perfectly at peace.

" _I found a dream, that I could speak to  
_ _A dream that I can call my own_  
I found a thrill to press my cheek to  
A thrill that I have never known

" _Oh yeah yeah  
_ _You smiled, you smiled_  
Oh and then the spell was cast  
And here we are in heaven  
for you are mine..."

Together, the two men froze, eyes locked as they uttered the last line of the song.

" _At Last"_


End file.
